Featured
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Research Highlight |
Gut bacteria can break down cholesterol
A new study identifies a group of gut bacteria that can metabolize cholesterol and are associated with lower plasma cholesterol levels.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Review Article |
Uncovering atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by PET imaging
In this Review, van Leent and colleagues provide an overview of current PET imaging approaches for assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, as well as of whole-body PET applications; discuss the link between imaging readouts and atherosclerotic plaque pathology; and highlight promising developments in PET systems and radiotracer synthesis.
- Alexander Maier
- , Abraham J. P. Teunissen
- & Mandy M. T. van Leent
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Research Highlight |
Small extracellular vesicles from the infarcted heart can promote tumour growth
After myocardial infarction, the heart secretes small extracellular vesicles with pro-neoplastic properties that can accelerate tumour growth when taken up by cancer cells.
- Karina Huynh
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Research Highlight |
A newly identified gut hormone suppresses cholesterol production in the liver
A new study identifies a hormone that is secreted by the gut in response to cholesterol absorption and can inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver, which prevents an increase in circulating cholesterol levels.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Review Article |
Contemporary pharmacological treatment and management of heart failure
In this Review, Bozkurt provides an overview of the management of patients with heart failure across the full range of left ventricular ejection fraction, derived from the recommendations in the latest US and European guidelines.
- Biykem Bozkurt
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Review Article |
Optimizing antithrombotic therapy in patients with coexisting cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disease
In this Review, the authors address considerations for enteral antithrombotic therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal comorbidities, who often have an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Approaches include tailoring of antithrombotic regimens and gastrointestinal-protection strategies.
- Azita H. Talasaz
- , Parham Sadeghipour
- & Behnood Bikdeli
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Research Highlight |
Presence of microplastics in carotid plaques linked to cardiovascular events
In patients with carotid artery disease, the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in the carotid plaque is associated with an increased risk of death or major cardiovascular events compared with patients in whom microplastics and nanoplastics were not detected.
- Karina Huynh
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Tools of the Trade |
Long-read sequencing provides insights into genetic influence
In this Tools of the Trade article, Trivett discusses the potential of long-read sequencing in generating high-quality reference genomes of animal models of cardiovascular disease.
- Cara Trivett
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Tools of the Trade |
Imaging cAMP nanodomains in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes
In this Tools of the Trade article, Charrière describes the FluoStep FRET-based biosensor used for high-resolution imaging of cAMP nanodomains that are involved in intracellular signalling in cardiomyocytes.
- Camille Charrière
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Research Highlight |
An epigenome editing approach induces durable silencing of Pcsk9
A new approach to modify the epigenome can lead to durable silencing of Pcsk9 in mice, thereby reducing plasma LDL-cholesterol levels, according to a study published in Nature.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Journal Club |
Tackling inflammation in atherosclerosis
Shoaran and Maffia recount how our understanding of the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis has evolved and highlight the study by Göran Hansson and colleagues that provided the first hint of the involvement of the adaptive immune response in atherosclerosis.
- Mohsen Shoaran
- & Pasquale Maffia
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Review Article |
Sex-related similarities and differences in responses to heart failure therapies
In this Review, Lam and colleagues evaluate the current literature on sex-related differences in treatment responses in patients with heart failure and highlight potential approaches for tailored therapies and the need for sex-specific evaluation of treatment efficacy and safety in future research.
- Janice Y. Chyou
- , Hailun Qin
- & Carolyn S. P. Lam
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Journal Club |
Cardiac memory: a phenomenon with important clinical implications
Rebecca Gilchrist discusses the study that demonstrated the long-term modulation of ventricular repolarization by the sequence of electrical activation in the human heart and established the concept of cardiac memory.
- Rebecca J. Gilchrist
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Research Highlight |
Metabolic product of excess niacin is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular events
A metabolic product of excess niacin promotes vascular inflammation in preclinical models and is associated with increased rates of major adverse cardiovascular events in humans.
- Gregory B. Lim
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Research Highlight |
Pulmonary vascular compliance predicts response to VAD support
Using a porcine model of cardiogenic shock, Lamberti and colleagues develop a clinically accessible, patient-validated metric to assess pulmonary vascular compliance that can predict tolerance to left-sided ventricular assist device support.
- Karina Huynh
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Research Highlight |
Heartbeat-induced pressure pulsations in cerebral arteries modulate neuronal activity
Heartbeat-induced pressure pulsations within arterial vessels in the brain can directly stimulate central neuronal activity by activating mechanosensitive channels in subsets of neurons, according to a study published in Science.
- Karina Huynh
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Research Highlight |
Weight loss from surgery or drug therapy reduces blood pressure
Two studies indicate that a reduction in body mass index as a result of either bariatric surgery or pharmacological therapy is associated with a blood pressure-lowering effect.
- Gregory B. Lim
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Research Highlight |
DYRK1A gene linked to heart defects in Down syndrome
A study shows that congenital heart defects in Down syndrome are in part caused by increased dosage of the DYRK1A gene, which lies on chromosome 21, leading to reduced proliferation and mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiomyocytes.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Correspondence |
Reply to ‘Graded exercise therapy should not be recommended for patients with post-exertional malaise’
- Artur Fedorowski
- , Alessandra Fanciulli
- & Richard Sutton
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Review Article |
Immune checkpoints in cardiac physiology and pathology: therapeutic targets for heart failure
In this Review, Varga and colleagues provide an overview of the evidence on immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced heart failure and cardiac dysfunction that is unrelated to myocarditis, and discuss how pharmacological targeting of immune checkpoints might be a potential strategy to treat heart failure.
- Tamás G. Gergely
- , Zsófia D. Drobni
- & Zoltán V. Varga
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Clinical Outlook |
Partial heart transplantation: a new option for paediatric heart valve replacement
Heart valve replacement in newborn babies remains an unsolved problem because currently used heart valve implants do not grow. This lack of implant growth mandates serial re-operations until adult-size valve implants can be fitted. Partial heart transplantation is a new approach to solve this problem by transplanting only the part of the heart that contains the necessary valve.
- Taufiek K. Rajab
- , Andrew D. Vogel
- & Joseph W. Turek
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Research Highlight |
Fibroblast-like cells promote plaque stability in response to anti-IL-1β therapy
Anti-inflammatory therapy involving IL-1β inhibition might reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in individuals with clonal haematopoiesis by increasing the number of fibroblast-like cells in the fibrous cap region of atherosclerotic plaques, thereby stabilizing the plaque and reducing the likelihood of rupture.
- Gregory B. Lim
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Review Article |
Immune and inflammatory mechanisms in hypertension
In this Review, Guzik and colleagues discuss immune and inflammatory mechanisms of hypertension, including upstream regulators and downstream effectors as well as the complex interplay between the immune system, blood pressure regulation and end-organ damage, which can help to identify new targets for therapeutic interventions.
- Tomasz J. Guzik
- , Ryszard Nosalski
- & Grant R. Drummond
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Review Article |
Programmed death of macrophages in atherosclerosis: mechanisms and therapeutic targets
Macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques can undergo apoptosis and several forms of regulated necrosis, including necroptosis, pyroptosis and ferroptosis. In this Review, De Meyer and colleagues describe the various forms of programmed macrophage death in atherosclerosis and the potential therapeutic implications.
- Guido R. Y. De Meyer
- , Michelle Zurek
- & Wim Martinet
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Research Highlight |
Bone marrow adipocytes support fatty acid metabolism during MI-mediated emergency haematopoiesis
During myocardial infarction, haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells increase fatty acid oxidation, and bone marrow adipocytes can act as a local energy resource for these cells.
- Karina Huynh
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Research Highlight |
Clonal expansion of CD8+ T cells in aged mice linked to pro-atherogenic phenotype
In aged mice, but not young mice, with atherosclerosis, depletion of CD8+ T cells significantly reduces atherosclerotic lesion size and necrotic core area.
- Karina Huynh
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Comment |
Not a spectator sport: improving participation of Black patients in cardiovascular clinical trials
Representation of Black patients in cardiovascular clinical trials remains dismally low, reflective of systemic and structural barriers, which can lead to missed opportunities to meet community-identified needs, understand responses to medical therapies and improve cardiovascular care. Innovative, multilevel strategies focused on Black communities are warranted to increase enrolment of this population into clinical research.
- LaPrincess C. Brewer
- & Joshua J. Joseph
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Comment |
Mosaic loss of chromosome Y and cardiovascular disease
Mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY) refers to the condition in male individuals in which a detectable fraction of cells lose the Y chromosome. Prevalent in haematopoietic cells, this common somatic mutation is associated with decreased longevity and an increased risk of age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Haematopoietic mLOY provides further insight into the sex-specific disparities that exist in disease susceptibility.
- Soichi Sano
- & Kenneth Walsh
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Research Highlight |
Base editing therapy corrects long QT syndrome in mice
Gene therapy involving adenine base editing can correct a pathogenic variant in the Scn5a gene and alleviate arrhythmia phenotypes in a mouse model of long QT syndrome type 3.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Comment |
The case for eliminating racial and ethnic cardiovascular disparities in the USA
Racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular health in the USA result in a persistent mortality gap between white and Black individuals, increase health-care costs and compromise an egalitarian society. Solutions to racial inequities require risk factor control and the implementation of evidence-based medicine and anti-racism policies. Overcoming these disparities is not only a practical necessity, but also a moral imperative.
- Keith C. Ferdinand
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Research Highlight |
New insights into dietary cholesterol absorption
Aster proteins are involved in the non-vesicular transport of cholesterol derived from dietary lipids in the small intestine from the plasma membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum in enterocytes.
- Jennifer Harman
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Research Highlight |
PCI for stable angina
In the ORBITA-2 trial, percutaneous coronary intervention was associated with a lower angina symptom score compared with a placebo procedure in patients with stable angina who were receiving minimal or no antianginal medication.
- Gregory B. Lim
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Research Highlight |
Non-invasive ultrasound therapy for calcified aortic valve stenosis
In patients with severe calcified aortic valve stenosis, treatment with transthoracically delivered non-invasive ultrasound is safe and improves valve function.
- Karina Huynh
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Research Highlight |
MINT trial signals potential benefit of liberal transfusion strategy in MI with anaemia
A liberal strategy of blood transfusion might improve outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction and anaemia, according to results from the MINT trial.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Research Highlight |
SELECT shows cardiovascular risk reduction with weight-loss drug semaglutide in people without diabetes
Treatment with the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist semaglutide, administered subcutaneously at a dose of 2.4 mg once per week, reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20% compared with placebo in patients who are overweight or obese and with pre-existing cardiovascular disease but without diabetes mellitus, according to findings from the SELECT trial.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Research Highlight |
Self-monitoring strategy reduces postpartum hypertension and cardiac remodelling
In women with elevated levels of blood pressure during pregnancy, the use of a physician-guided remote telemonitoring programme during the postpartum period improves BP control, according to findings from the POP-HT trial.
- Karina Huynh
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Research Highlight |
Aspirin exclusion in patients with an LVAD
Data from the ARIES-HM3 trial show that excluding aspirin from the antithrombotic regimen in patients with advanced heart failure and a left ventricular assist device reduces the number of bleeding events and does not increase the risk of thromboembolism.
- Gregory B. Lim
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Review Article |
Long non-coding RNAs in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure: functions, mechanisms and clinical prospects
In this Review, Mably and Wang summarize the expression, functions and molecular mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cardiac hypertrophy and failure. The authors also discuss lncRNAs as novel targets for the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.
- John D. Mably
- & Da-Zhi Wang
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Research Highlight |
Explaining how a cardiac reflex causes syncope
Activation of a specific set of vagal sensory neurons connecting the ventricular wall of the heart to the area postrema in the brainstem causes mice to faint. This finding defines a cardiac reflex that recapitulates characteristics of human syncope.
- Gregory B. Lim
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Research Highlight |
Revealing the structure of the cardiac myosin filament
Two new studies using cryo-electron microscopy describe the structure and conformation of myosin in the cardiac thick filaments and how it interacts with other thick-filament proteins, such as titin and cardiac myosin-binding protein C, in mammalian hearts.
- Gregory B. Lim
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Research Highlight |
Disrupting a cell-specific miRNA–CXCR4 interaction is atheroprotective in mice
An approach that increases the expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in vascular cells by targeting a microRNA-based repressive pathway attenuates atherosclerosis in mice and promotes atheroprotective functions in human and mouse vascular cells in vitro.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Review Article |
Lipoprotein(a), platelet function and cardiovascular disease
In this Review, Tsimikas and co-workers re-examine the role of lipoprotein(a) in the regulation of platelet function and propose areas for future research to define its clinical relevance for cardiovascular disease.
- Harpreet S. Bhatia
- , Richard C. Becker
- & Sotirios Tsimikas
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Research Highlight |
Patisiran is beneficial for the treatment of TTR cardiac amyloidosis
Treatment with the small interfering RNA patisiran preserves functional capacity and improves health status and quality of life in patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis, according to data from the 12-month double-blind period of the ongoing APOLLO-B trial.
- Irene Fernández-Ruiz
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Research Highlight |
Drug-eluting resorbable scaffolds are superior to angioplasty for infrapopliteal artery disease
In the LIFE-BTK trial, treatment with an everolimus-eluting resorbable scaffold was superior to angioplasty in improving clinical outcomes in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischaemia due to infrapopliteal artery disease.
- Karina Huynh
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Clinical Outlook |
Long-term outcomes and device failure after TAVI
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an important treatment option for aortic stenosis, even among younger patients, with similar rates of efficacy as compared with surgical valve replacement. However, complications including device failure persist; these can be addressed by surgical explantation and repeat TAVI. Ongoing research emphasizes the long-term potential of TAVI as an alternative to surgical intervention for aortic stenosis.
- Marco Barbanti
- & John G. Webb
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Review Article |
The role of the NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis in cardiovascular diseases
The NLRP3 inflammasome can sense cardiac ischaemic and non-ischaemic injury, amplify the inflammatory response and induce inflammatory cell death. In this Review, Toldo and Abbate describe the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in numerous cardiac pathologies and summarize evidence on the use of agents targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome and related cytokines.
- Stefano Toldo
- & Antonio Abbate
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Evidence-based Guidelines |
2023 World Heart Federation guidelines for the echocardiographic diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease
A panel of experts from the World Heart Federation provide a revised set of guidelines for the echocardiographic detection of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in patients living in RHD-endemic regions. The guidelines provide updated screening and confirmatory criteria, as well as a new stage-based classification of RHD based on risk of disease progression, which will improve the diagnosis and subsequent management of patients with RHD.
- Joselyn Rwebembera
- , James Marangou
- & Bo Reményi
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Perspective |
Restoration of flow in the aorta: a novel therapeutic target in aortic valve intervention
In this Perspective article, Garg and colleagues discuss the evidence linking abnormal aortic flow patterns with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and describe how changes in aortic flow can be targeted by novel aortic valve interventions.
- Pankaj Garg
- , Michael Markl
- & João Cavalcante
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Comment |
Defining iron deficiency in patients with heart failure
For patients with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, intravenous iron is likely to deliver clinical and prognostic benefits for those with anaemia and transferrin saturation <20%, especially if serum ferritin exceeds 100 μg/l. A serum ferritin of <100 μg/l does not appear to be useful as a marker of iron deficiency.
- John G. F. Cleland